Underground man-made objects, such as utility lines and pipes (hereinafter “utility lines”), are very susceptible to damage from excavation activities. Local and federal laws require that notification be given to owners of underground utility lines in an area to be excavated before any excavation takes place. The owners of the utility lines typically must locate and mark the location of any underground utility lines.
The tasks of locating and marking underground utility lines can be performed by either the utility line owner or by third party contractors. A marking tool is typically used to mark the ground, pavement or other surfaces in order to provide a visual indication of the location of underground utilities. Paint is commonly used as the marker, and it is typically applied using a paint marking tool. The color of the paint is typically chosen based on the type of utility line being marked (e.g., red for a power line). However, other types of markers, such as other types of liquids, flags and stakes are also used, and different visual or other characteristics of the marker are used for representing different types of underground utility lines. For example, the color, shape or other characteristic of a flag marker can represent a particular type of underground utility line (e.g., a square shaped flag can be used to mark a power line).
When paint is used as the marker, a worker marks the location of an underground utility line using a paint marking tool to spray paint on the ground above the utility line. The paint marking tools typically used have a paint canister holder that is adapted to hold a single aerosol can of paint in an axial orientation with respect to the long axis of the aerosol can. The paint marking tool is typically designed to enable a user to walk or stand erect while dispensing the paint.
When an underground utility line is located, the worker will load a paint can of the appropriate color for the utility line being marked into the paint marking tool. When it is time to mark a different type of utility line, the worker must change the paint can to one of the appropriate color for the new utility line being marked.